New pickup trucks

Few vehicles are so perfect for so many Americans as the full-size pickup trucks.


That's why these big haulers have perennially been our nation's best-selling vehicles. But now the creators of this quintessentially American icon — Ford, General Motors and Dodge — need to watch their rearview mirrors. Serious contenders from Nissan and Toyota have entered this last preserve of American market dominance with trucks of their own — trucks engineered and built here in the U.S. of A.


As these latest Japanese entries have grown in size and power, we decided to compare them to the domestic stalwarts. We gathered a Ford F-150 (the best-selling vehicle in the country), a Chevrolet Silverado, a Dodge Ram, a Toyota Tundra and a Nissan Titan. We specified the roomiest four-door cabs, biggest engines and, since half of all pickups sold are 4wd, that's how we got them. We track tested each empty and with 1000 pounds of sandbags in the cargo bed. We used them on road and off. Here's what we found.

NEW PICKUP TRUCK DODGE RAM 1500 LARAMIE


When a Hemi-powered Dodge Ram brings up the rear in a comparison test, it really shows how tough the pickup world has become.

In nearly every respect, the Ram seemed dated, even though Dodge revamped its front suspension and the cab's interior just last year. Adding insult was the Ram's price: Our top of the line Laramie model cost $10,000 more than the better-equipped Nissan. Yikes. Dodge's Quad Cab was much smaller than the others. It was a tight squeeze in the second row, and that back seat had the most upright and uncomfortable seat of all the trucks tested. The hard plastics and dour environment had us wondering what exactly justified that high sticker price. Unlike the Ford, the Ram had abundant torquey thrust. But even the mighty Hemi seemed overmatched by the Nissan and Toyota. Still, the Ram was no slug. Interestingly, when empty, it was slower than every truck but the F-150, showing that it definitely needs weight over the rear wheels to gain traction. And Hemis never were famous for their frugality: The Dodge delivered the worst fuel economy of our group. The steering was responsive, as the truck's good showing in the lane change test showed. But scads of suspension travel — great for off-road — accounted for a bouncing, rocking ride. Off-road capability and good looks were not enough to overcome the Ram's shortcomings.

New pickup truck FORD F-150 KING RANCH

How does the best-selling truck end up near the bottom of our rankings? In a word — engine.
Ford's three-valve-per-cylinder 5.4-liter V8 made the F-150 slower to 60 mph than every other truck here. The heavier Toyota was nearly a staggering 3 seconds faster. All of the other trucks were quicker when carrying 1000 pounds than the Ford was empty. But that doesn't mean Ford doesn't know how to build a great truck. The F-150 out-stopped everything but the Tundra. It was also the best-handling pickup truck here, beating the others through the slalom and lane change. The Ford's robust, fully boxed frame got credit for providing solid anchorage for the suspension and steering. However, extracting maximum handling from the F-150 took a skilled hand. Our King Ranch had the nicest interior of the bunch, with an easy-to-use navigation system, sunroof and power folding heated mirrors, and thick-cut saddle leather on the seats and center console. On the open road, the F-150 was quiet and comfortable, though not quite as smooth as the Nissan. But when put to work, the Ford's extra-deep bed (with no bed liner for $45K!) made loading a pain.

New pickup truck CHEVROLET SILVERADO CREW CAB LT2

GM raised the bar with the latest iteration of the Silverado and GMC Sierra. Given the competition, however, the bar didn't go high enough.
And, in the end, the new GMs fall short of our expectations. There's no complaint with the redesigned interiors. When we opened the door of our Silverado test truck, we were impressed by the quality materials and switches. But once we settled into the supportive driver's seat, it was clear the cab wasn't noticeably roomier than the previous model's. Our disappointment grew on the track and on the road. Even though our test truck was optioned with the 6.0-liter Vortec Max V8 — the largest engine in the test — the Chevy lost to both the Toyota and Nissan on the strip. What happened to American muscle? Part of the problem was the transmission. Not only was the Chevy down one gear to the Nissan and down two to the Toyota, its shifts were lethargic. Around town, the Chevy had the same type of easy-to-drive élan as the '06 Silverado. Like the Nissan, the Chevy drives smaller than it actually is. You can confidently wheel it into parking spots you wouldn't dare try in the Tundra or the Ford. Our truck had the NHT towing package that brings with it firmer rear springs to handle the 10,500-pound towing capacity. The ride quality should have been compromised; happily, it wasn't. The Silverado was one of our favorites on the freeway and rough roads. We still like the Chevy more than we did its predecessor, but less than we like the Nissan and Toyota.


New pickup trucks TOYOTA TUNDRA CREWMAX LIMITED


If we never left the dragstrip, the Tundra would be the clear winner of this test. Our truck had Toyota's new 5.7-liter i-Force V8.
This monster of a motor is the strongest of the bunch, and it comes paired to the only six-speed automatic in the test. Despite the Toyota's weight — it's the heaviest here — this truck ripped through the quarter-mile faster than most cars. With ballast, the Tundra was quicker 0 to 30 than the unladen Ram and the F-150. It also had nearly the best brakes of the group. And any complaints about the previous Tundra's skimpy size are gone. It's huge, inside and out. Toyota's CrewMax cab has the most comfortable rear seat in any pickup. Just recline and enjoy a DVD. It's almost too posh back there for truck duty. Up front, the Tundra is cavernous, with plenty of storage space. However, all is not perfect when it comes to comfort. Over our test loop, which included many different types of secondary roads and freeways, the Tundra had the kind of jarring freeway hop that would make a Humvee blush. The rough-riding suspension hurt the Tundra through the handling tests, too. The Tundra's prowess through the pylons was also hindered by its overprotective stability control system. The harder we pushed this truck, the more aggressively the stability control electronics shut it down. Worth noting: With a tow rating of 10,100 pounds, the Tundra is as capable of pulling as any truck here.

New pickup truck NISSAN TITAN SE



The last time we compared full-size pickups, in January 2004, the Titan won. Since then, every other truck here has been redesigned.
No matter — the Titan retains its title. At the dragstrip, with 1000 pounds in the bed, the Titan crossed the quarter-mile mark two-hundredths of a second after the rocket-sled Tundra. Though the Tundra has 64 more horsepower, the Titan weighs less. It's the lightest truck here, which helped its fuel economy numbers. The Titan was midpack in all our handling tests, even though it had the tallest tires with the most aggressive off-road biased tread. Our test Titan is the best equipped for going off-road; in fact, it was the best in the dirt and the only truck here to come with a pushbutton locking rear differential. The Titan also has the most useful bed of the group, with huge, movable tiedown cleats, a bed liner and a unique bedside lockbox. Inside, the Titan is roomy and comfortable, rivaling the limousine-like Tundra for rear-seat legroom. The only major strike against the Nissan is the use of hard and cheap-looking interior plastics. Nonetheless, each night every tester wanted to drive the Titan back to the hotel.